WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Wednesday targeting antisemitism and calling for the deportation of non-citizen students and others who participated in pro-Palestinian protests, a White House official confirmed.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the order will prompt “immediate action” from the Justice Department to prosecute individuals involved in terroristic threats, vandalism, arson, and violence against American Jews. The directive is aimed at countering what it describes as an “explosion of antisemitism” on US campuses and streets following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Harsh Measures for Foreign Protesters
Trump’s statement in the fact sheet warned resident aliens involved in protests:
“To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you.”
He also pledged to revoke student visas of those he labeled “Hamas sympathizers” on college campuses, claiming that universities have been “infested with radicalism like never before.”
Federal Agencies to Act Within 60 Days
The order mandates agency and department heads to submit recommendations within 60 days on criminal and civil authorities available to counter antisemitism, including measures for removing resident aliens who violate US laws.
The fact sheet also alleges that pro-Hamas protesters have engaged in:
- Vandalism and intimidation targeting Jewish students
- Blocking Jewish students from attending classes
- Assaulting worshippers at synagogues
- Defacing US monuments and statues
The move comes after months of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across US college campuses, which civil rights groups say have also led to a rise in antisemitic, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic incidents.